The detained amir of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Motiur Rahman Nizami, will be interrogated in the safe house on Road 27 at Dhanmondi on Thursday in connection with charges of war crimes.
The investigation agency will also interrogate Jamaat's detained secretary-general, Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, in the safe house on May 8.
The period of interrogation of both of them will be from 10:00am and 5:00pm.
Investigator Md Abdur Razzak Khan sent a letter to Nizami and Mojaheed's counsel Tajul Islam on Tuesday, informing him that his clients will be questioned.
Tajul said that he had received the letter on Wednesday.
The International Crimes Tribunal on April 21 ordered the investigation agency to notify Tajul 48 hours before the interrogation of his clients.
On April 13 the tribunal, better known as the war crimes tribunal set up to try those responsible for crimes against humanity committed during the War of Independence in 1971, allowed the investigation officer to interrogate Nizami and Mojaheed in the safe house in the presence of one of their lawyers and a physician from Dhaka Central Jail.
According to the tribunal's order, the defence counsel and physician will be allowed to sit in an adjacent room so that they cannot hear but can see the interrogation of the Jamaat leaders.
The doctor will examine the health of the Jamaat leaders after the interrogation, the tribunal ordered.
On April 21 Tajul moved a petition seeking modification of the order issued on April 13.
While moving the petition Tajul argued that Nizami and Mojaheed should not be subjected to interrogation in the safe house as they might be subjected to torture, coercion and duress to extract information from them that will be used against them in the trial.
He also argued that a defence counsel should be allowed to be present within earshot during the interrogation.
The tribunal, however, told Tajul that the investigation agency, in its petition to be allowed to interrogate Nizami and Mojaheed, had said that they needed to be questioned to enable investigators to examine the various evidence including video-audio records, newspapers, magazines and other documents gathered against the two.
There will be no scope for torture, coercion and duress of the two Jamaat leaders during interrogation as a defence counsel will be allowed to stay in the adjacent room, said the court, adding that there is no national or international law that makes it mandatory to allow the presence of defence counsel within hearing distance during the interrogation of any accused person.
Source: New Age
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